Background: No condition-specific patient-reported outcome measures exist for patients with abdominal
aortic aneurysm (AAA). The aim of this work was to develop three questionnaires to assess quality of
life (QoL), symptoms and treatment satisfaction in patients with AAA.

Methods: Semistructured interview techniques were used to explore patients’ experiences of having an
AAA in a series of focus groups and in-depth interviews. The information gathered was used to inform
design and selection of items for the new tools; the overall structure of the new questionnaires was based
on tools developed previously for patients with diabetes and other conditions.

Results: Fifty-four patients (51 men, 3 women; mean age 71⋅9 years) were recruited from four NHS
Trusts to participate in focus groups or interviews, either while under surveillance, or following AAA
repair (using open or endovascular techniques). The Aneurysm-DependentQuality of LifeQuestionnaire
(AneurysmDQoL) is an individualized measure of the impact of AAA on patients’ QoL. Twenty-three
domains were chosen specifically for their relevance to patients with AAA, with a further two overview
items to assess overall QoL and the impact of AAA on QoL. The Aneurysm Symptom Rating Questionnaire
(AneurysmSRQ) is a 44-item measure assessing physical and psychological symptoms reported by
patients with AAA. The Aneurysm Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (AneurysmTSQ) contains 11
items, suitable for patients before and after surgical intervention.

Conclusion: The iterative development process reported here has confirmed that these three new tools
have good face and content validity for patients with AAA.

Paper accepted 2 March 2016
Published online 23 May 2016 in Wiley Online Library (www.bjs.co.uk). DOI: 10.1002/bjs.10181